Renewable Energy Focus

The 9th Circuit refused to halt a $2.2 billion solar energy project in California over fears that it will harm desert tortoises and other wildlife. Western Watersheds Project claims that environmental plans for the plant, being built on about 3,500 acres of public land in the Mojave Desert, do not sufficiently protect endangered tortoises and birds.

China Petrochemical Corp., Sinopec, is in advanced talks about investing $1 billion in a Texas clean-energy project in what would become the largest investment by a Chinese company in the US power sector in history. Additionally, the company has already invested billions in US shale-gas fields. The move would help Sinopec further build favor in the US market, acquiring energy reserves and production expertise. In addition to tax benefits, the project has secured $450 million in grants from the US Department of Energy and has attained the necessary permits and contracts to buy San Antonio's electricity for the next 25 years.

PNM Resources says it has received an order from the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC) that allows the utility to collect renewable energy expenses through a rider. PNM says the renewable energy costs are related to the state's renewable portfolio standard, which is 20% by 2020 for investor-owned utilities and 10% by 2020 for rural electric co-ops. PNM says the rider is designed to allow the company to recover certain NMPRC-approved renewable energy procurement costs that have been incurred since January 2011. These costs come from five utility-scale solar facilities, a battery-storage project and certain wind resource procurements, as well as from purchases of renewable energy and renewable energy certificates. PNM expects $6.7 million in revenue during the remainder of the year from the rider, with rates going into effect on Aug. 20.

Sunrise Energy Ventures (SEV) announced that it has been awarded the opportunity to provide solar power at three, 10 megawatts sites by Indianapolis Power & Light Company (IPL). The power SEV generates at these sites would be purchased by IPL under a 15 year power purchase agreement. The completed combined installations will be the largest in the Midwest to date.

In a move intended to give local government more clout in setting the course of energy development on public lands, the county planning commission on Tuesday voted to recommend an amendment to the master plan to call most of the territory in its borders an "energy zone." The new zone would overlay existing land use zones as a way of emphasizing that the area is open for energy extraction as well as other activities. Concept now goes to the county commission for final approval.

CPS Energy added 10 megawatts of solar energy to its portfolio with the completion of a New Energy Economy project in Somerset, Texas. The addition completes a 30 MW solar project with New Energy Economy partner SunEdison and adds $100,000 from the California-based company to area education efforts.

Despite high hopes, Idaho's renewable energy sector has had a rough ride with major projects that the state enthusiastically touted ending up mothballed or killed, from Hoku Corp.'s $400 million Pocatello solar polysilicon plant to Micron Technology's solar energy venture, Transform Solar.

After a year of research at three sites to examine the potential impacts of wind energy development on the sage grouse, the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative (NWCC) Sage-Grouse Research Collaborative has awarded a total of $533,500 to continue the research this year. The research is part of the ongoing environmental impact studies being conducted for the massive 3 GW Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Farm. The proposed wind farm - located on public, private and state land in Carbon County, Wyo. - would contain up to 1,000 turbines and generate enough energy to power up to 1 million U.S. homes.

Renewable Energy Focus

Creotecc Solar Mounting Systems has completed a 481kW ground mount solar array at the Thermalito Water and Sewer District (TSWD) in Oroville, California. The mount system is expected to completely eliminate TSWD's electricity cost resulting in a saving of $3.8m in positive cash flows over the 25 year life of the system.

Canadian Solar Inc., the world’s third-largest maker of solar panels, got a C$93 million ($93.8 million) loan from state-owned China Development Bank Corp. as it expands in North America. The five-year facility will be used to part-finance the recent acquisition of a stake in 16 photovoltaic projects in Ontario from developer SkyPower Ltd.

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